A Home Team Bounce

[Monoborracho]

We recently purchased Mrs. Mono a new Giant Cypress DX cruiser. I know, I need to post some pics. She liked it because it was lavender color...go figure. She has maybe 20 miles on it around town and today we went over to one of my favorite rail trails. This is our chance to learn to ride together, so to speak. Six miles and a stop at Subway later her new bike flats. No problem. I'm gonna' get a chance to impress her with all my skills. I already put an older seat pack on her bike, with two tubes for her 700cx37 tires. I had taken the mini morph from the road bike and put it in my rack bag on the Mesa, as well as a CO2 gun. I quickly change tubes, and pull out the pump.

I go to change the pump head from Presta (my road bike) to Schrader, and drop both the rubber grommet and that other little internal check valve looking thing. Somehow, both pieces of the pump manage to bounce totally off the bike path. The little rubber piece bounced twice, somehow hitting the only large rock in the county on the second bounce, and went into a creek. I never saw the other little piece after the first bounce.

Then I discover that I had brought a CO2 cartridge that was already used. The other one (duh) was a screw on type and would not fit the gun. Luckily, I find the screw-on adapter in the bottom of the rack bag and we fill the tire with our one remaining chance and proceed back to the railhead. Still a good ride, but not what we planned.

The morals of the story....when working with small bike parts on the trail...move away from creeks and bridges. Spread out a jacket or jersey on the ground. Sit down on the ground next to it. Keep all the little parts close to the ground and over the spread out jacket so they can't bounce away. Carry a pump for each bike. Double check the CO2 cartridges

[Mojo Slim]

My little trick is to wrap all my tools in a bandana. It keeps them quiet in the pack, it can be used as a drop cloth as you have described. It can also be an emegency head sweat (I've done that) and even a bandage (did that two days ago when my buddy crashed and got a very bloody finger). Once, when I was riding a loaner bike on a big ride, I tied the bandana to the handlebars for easy recognition in the crowd of bikes at the rest stops.

[stapfam]

I have pumps set up for the bike but Each bike is different. The road bike is Presta- so the New-as yet untested in anger- pump on that is set up for that valve. I did pump a flattish tyre up to 90PSI in the shed so it will be good enough to get me home. The MTB is schraeder and is the old reliable pump that I have had for years and this gets used often enough to say it works. Then there is the Tandem and High volume tyres to 60psi takes a lot of work with most pumps so this has a hig volume Mini- track pump in the top bag to make it easier. So why is it that it does not matter who I ride with- or on what route- I always have to use my pump to inflate others tyres as their pump seems to have a problem? And why is it that they fit presta to their bikes so I have to change the Grommet round? The Tandem pump is exceptional for a mini pump so everyone wants to use that if it is available but whenever I have a flat and want to use it- I have to change the grommet again to fit my tyres.

Loss of the little bit of rubber has just given me one reason for thinking about CO2, but it is one reason for and still a heck of a lot against- And you found one of them on this ride.

[Retro Grouch]

I've been there, done that and got the T-shirt. How long did it take you to find somebody on the trail with a pump you could borrow?

[Monoborracho]

I've been there, done that and got the T-shirt. How long did it take you to find somebody on the trail with a pump you could borrow?

I was lucky and was able to make the last CO2 cartridge work with a "screw-on" type inflation fitting. Today I plan to order at least three or maybe four Topek Morph type pumps so never again swapping pumps and tools from one bike to another for a last minute ride.

Or maybe I'll just sell some bikes to solve the problem. Nawww...probably not.

[NOS88]

Now I thought the moral of the story was going to be... teach your spouse to change flats before riding together. ;) I too have had the experience of little parts bouncing away never to be seen again. The feeling as it disappears is maddening. Glad you got the situation worked out. So, did she enjoy the ride and the theatre of you working on her flat?